Daydreaming of You
by Kristen3
Summary: Daphne unexpectedly asks Niles to accompany her to the wine shop to pick up a few things for Frasier. Niles readily accepts, but his odd behavior during the shopping trip lead to a surprise for both of them. Very long one-shot.


Daphne sighed as she looked at the shopping list her boss had given her. Didn't Dr. Crane understand that she was a physical therapist, not a housekeeper? But she knew there was no getting out of it. He'd been called to the station for some sort of emergency meeting, and he'd told Daphne to go to the wine shop and pick up some _very specific_ bottles. As long as she lived, Daphne would never understand the Crane brothers' obsession with wine.

"I might as well get this over with," she muttered to herself. Reluctantly, she grabbed her coat and headed for the door. Just as she was about to open it, someone knocked. Somewhat surprised, she opened the door. "Dr. Crane!"

Niles smiled. "Hello. You look lovely today."

"Oh, well, thank you," Daphne replied, a bit embarrassed.

"I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time," Niles said, noticing that she was on her way out.

"Well...," Daphne said. She was about to apologize and say that she had errands to run, but at the last minute, she changed her mind. "Your brother has asked me to pick up a few things at the wine shop. Would you like to come with me?"

"Yes." Niles didn't even hesitate before answering.

"Wonderful. I'm sure your brother would be pleased to know you're coming with me. At least this way, I won't come home with the wrong thing!" She laughed.

The sound of her laugh was so musical to Niles, he barely even heard a word she said. He watched as she walked out of the apartment and followed her. He wasn't fully aware of where they were going, but he would follow Daphne anywhere.

Fifteen minutes later, they were at the Crane brothers' favorite wine shop. "Well, here we are," Daphne said. "I don't know why your brother insists on sending me on these errands. I don't know anything about wine, and if I get the wrong thing, he just bloody blows up at me!"

"I'm sorry, what?" Niles hadn't been listening to her. He was still processing the fact that he and Daphne were sharing an outing together. He was imagining what it would be like if they did this all t he time, as a couple. The fantasy was nothing short of heavenly.

"Where is your mind today, Dr. Crane?" Daphne knew he got distracted from time to time, thinking about his horrid ex-wife. But right now he was acting even more out if it than usual.

Niles laughed, but it felt forced. "Let's just get on with our shopping."

"All right, then. I can't say I like being in a store like this. I always feel as if the staff can tell by me accent and me clothes that I don't really belong."

"Daphne, you belong here just as much as anyone else."

"You always say such sweet things to me. What would I ever do without you?" Daphne couldn't resist giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

Niles let out an involuntary sigh when her lips touched his cheek. She truly was an angel.

Daphne smiled when she saw his expression. She knew that Dr. Crane was lonely these days. "Now, let's just get these things on your brother's list, shall we?"

"Right," Niles replied, a bit embarrassed. They were here for a purpose. He needed to focus. "Let me see the list." Daphne handed him the piece of paper. Niles recognized at once his brother's neat penmanship. "This shouldn't be too difficult," he said.

"Good," Daphne said with a smile. "I wouldn't even know where to start to look for these."

"Don't worry, Daphne. You've got me." Niles loved being able to rescue her, even if all it meant was shopping for wine.

Daphne nodded at him, and Niles immediately set off for the aisle where he knew he could find the first item on Frasier's list. Normally, he'd have complained about his 'famous' older brother constantly trying to one-up his own wine collection, but he resisted the urge this time. Daphne needed help. He quickly found the bottle Frasier had asked for. But as he reached to take it off the shelf, he froze. He couldn't help picturing what it would be like to offer Daphne a glass of this wine. She would enjoy it, and she'd probably want to thank him...

"Dr. Crane, are you all right?" Daphne's words brought Niles back to reality.

He laughed nervously. "Yes. I just let my mind wander a bit."

"Well, let's try to keep it here, all right? I'd rather not spend all day getting your brother these things. I love me job, but I like to have a bit of time to meself, you know."

"I understand completely," Niles replied. Daphne worked hard. It was only fair that she deserved to relax now and then, too.

Daphne smiled at him, and it took a moment before Niles realized he should probably continue with their shopping. He selected the rest of the items on the list. Daphne followed him around, noticing that Dr. Crane wasn't speaking much. He seemed to be in another world. But she supposed it didn't matter as long as they did what they came here to do. When he had finished gathering the items, Niles merely stood there, puzzled as to what to do next.

"Come on, we have to pay for all of this." Daphne put her hand on his arm, guiding him to the checkout.

"Will that be all?" the cashier asked.

Niles didn't answer. He still seemed to not be paying attention. "Yes," Daphne finally said, smiling nervously at the store employee.

The cashier nodded and began to ring up their purchases. Daphne paid with the money Frasier had given her, which was, no coincidence, exactly enough to cover the total. She grabbed the bags and walked toward the door, assuming that Dr. Crane was following her. But just as she was about to go out to the car, she glanced behind her, and saw that Dr. Crane was still standing in front of the cash register. "Dr. Crane!"

Niles looked around, wondering who was calling his name. He quickly realized it was Daphne. He smiled at her and caught up to her as she was leaving.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Daphne asked. "You've been acting rather strange."

Niles smiled. "I'm fine. I assure you. Let's go home." He smiled at her. It occurred to him then that that phrase might have a totally different meaning if Daphne only knew of his feelings.

"Well, if you say so. But why do you keep acting like your mind's someplace else? Is there something you'd rather be doing right now?"

"No," Niles said, a bit too quickly.

"Good. I'd hate to think I ruined your day with this silly little errand!" Daphne chuckled.

"Daphne, you could never ruin my day." Niles' answer came out before he could stop himself. Daphne, who had been walking toward the car, stopped and turned around when she heard the words.

Niles felt his heart beat so hard he thought it might actually burst through his chest. He could hardly think straight with Daphne's eyes on him. "I mean-" But Niles didn't know how to finish the sentence.

It took Daphne a moment to realize Dr. Crane was trying to tell her something. Whatever it was, it was clearly important. She went to the car, and put the bags on the ground. Then she went back to where Dr. Crane still stood, watching her. "Dr. Crane, what's the matter?" She was now genuinely concerned.

Staring into her brown eyes, Niles forced himself to calm down. "Daphne, you could never ruin my day. Being in your company is never a chore. That's why I've been daydreaming this whole time. I couldn't believe you actually wanted to go somewhere with me. It was almost like... a date." He whispered the last two words so softly, Daphne almost didn't hear them.

"A date? Dr. Crane, what are you saying?"

"Ever since we met, all I've ever wanted is to be with you."

"Really?" Daphne had never expected this. He was a friend, someone she felt comfortable with. But did that mean she had romantic feelings for him? She wasn't sure. But as she stood there, pondering the question, she felt a sudden nervousness. It was almost like the feeling she got when she was a young girl in Manchester. Being alone with a handsome boy was thrilling, but at the same time, it made her a bit anxious, too. She reached for his hand, surprised at how warm and soft it was. It felt _right_ somehow. "Being with you is nice," Daphne said.

Niles grinned. "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. If you'd like to think about your feelings, you're certainly entitled to."

"No," Daphne said, almost surprised to hear herself say the words. "I think I can make my mind up right now." As she looked into his eyes, she couldn't help smiling. They were a lovely shade of blue. "I think this could lead to something. I'm not making any promises. But I think we should at least give it a chance."

Niles hugged her, elated. "Daphne, that's all I've ever wanted. I promise, I'll do everything in my power to make you happy."

"I'm sure you will." Daphne suddenly leaned forward, quickly kissing his lips. "How about we go back to your brother's and talk? I can fix us something to eat, and we can...get to know each other."

Niles already knew everything about her. He had memorized nearly every detail she'd mentioned to him over the years. But he knew that wasn't what she meant. Even though they'd been friends for a long time, this was still a first. As he took her hand, and they made their way towards the car, Niles felt happier than he could ever remember. He had a feeling this conversation would be the first in a whole new chapter for both of them.

**The End**


End file.
